One month after Hezbollah, in cooperation with the Syrian army, managed in July, 2017, to liberated the Nusra-held territories in Arsal-Qalamoun outskirts on Lebanon’s northeastern border with Syria, the Lebanese army decided to confront the ISIL terrorist groups and liberate the territories it had occupied there.
On the other side of the border, Hezbollah and the Syrian army prepared for an offensive liberate the Western Qalamoun from ISIL in a plan that supports the Lebanese army attack against the terrorists.
Washington’s pressures on the Lebanese political and military command were escalated in order to prevent the offensive against the US-backed terrorist group. However, the Lebanese officials insisted on defeating the takfiri militants who threatened the nation’s security and stability.
The Lebanese army commander in chief, General Joseph Aoun, obtained the approval of President Michel Aoun to start the battle and informed Hezbollah about it.
Hezbollah Liaison and Coordination official, Hajj Wafiq Safa, said General Joseph Aoun asked him to tell the Secretary General, Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, that the Lebanese army wanted to engage alone in the battle against ISIL.
The following video shows Sayyed Nasralla’s answer to General Aoun:
In this harmonious atmosphere, the military operations against the ISIL terrorist group started on August 18, 2017.
ISIL had occupied 140 square kilometers in the northeastern barrens and 320 square kilometers in the Western Qalamoun.
However, the huge firepower of Hezbollah and the Lebanese as well as Syrian armies did not leave any chance for the terrorists to carry out military manipulation. Thus, the area they had controlled was reduced to just 40 square kilometers.
Being under the pressure of the firm siege, ISIL terrorists surrendered and proposed halting the fight in return of allowing them to leave into Syria’s Deir Ezzor area. The Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah set the condition of releasing the bodies of the army and Resistance martyrs to approve the deal.
The Lebanese Army and Resistance retained their martyrs, and the terrorists were allowed to depart into Deir Ezzor. On August 28, 2017, the final victory over the terrorist group in the northeastern barrens was achieved.
Source: Second Liberation Secrets Documentary (Edited and Subtitled by Al-Manar English Website)
